Iraqi Who Threw Shoe At Bush To Be Released Early: Lawyer

AP:

BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi journalist jailed after hurling his shoes at former President George W. Bush will be released next month after his sentence was reduced for good behavior, his lawyer said Saturday.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi's act during Bush's last visit to Iraq as president turned the 30-year-old reporter into a folk hero across the Arab world amid anger over the 2003 invasion.

He has been in custody since the Dec. 14 outburst, which occurred as Bush was holding a joint news conference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

He was initially sentenced to three years after pleading not guilty to assaulting a foreign leader, then the court reduced it to one year because the journalist had no prior criminal history.

Defense attorney Karim al-Shujairi said al-Zeidi will now be released on Sept. 14, three months early.

"We have been informed officially about the court decision," al-Shujairi told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "His release will be a victory for the free and honorable Iraqi media."

Judicial spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar said he had no immediate information about the release because it was a weekend.

The bizarre act of defiance transformed the obscure reporter from a minor TV station into a national hero to many Iraqis fed up with the nearly six-year U.S. presence here.

The case also drew worldwide attention and became a rallying cry throughout the Muslim world for critics who resent the U.S. invasion and occupation.

Thousands demonstrated for al-Zeidi's release and hailed his gesture, which came in the waning days of the Bush administration. The incident also embarrassed al-Maliki, who was standing next to Bush at the time.

Neither leader was injured, but Bush was forced to duck for cover as the journalist shouted in Arabic: "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[celebration]

02:44 PM on 08/31/2009

Ask me who my hero is and I will certainly say "WOW! IT'S THE SHOE THROWER" My only regret was that he missed. I congratula­te that man of valor and am very estatic that he will soon be released. it's not soon enough for me. The man is worth a medal!

[hankledeep]

08:18 PM on 08/30/2009

Is there a lot of paper work to nominate someone for the Nobel prize?

[levelshot]

07:40 PM on 08/30/2009

There should be a statue of al-Zeidi in the picture hurling next to Abraham Lincoln.

[DrMittens]

07:40 PM on 08/30/2009

YAY! does he get a medal? and pie? because he deserves it!

...and chocolate! lots of chocolate!

[Artos]

07:30 PM on 08/30/2009

Congratula­tions to Muntadhar, I hope that his government gives him a medal, because he surely deserves one. Muntadhar you are a hero and you have my respect. If only we had the ability to throw shoes at our former President ourselves. You took threw small shoe for a Man, but one giant Shoe for Mankind. Again Congratula­tions and God Speed.

[kid5rivers2]

07:08 PM on 08/30/2009

When he's done, bring him here ---we have some Repubs to line up in front him.

[ManwithaParachute]

06:59 PM on 08/30/2009

Can someone give this guy a Congressio­nal Medal of Honor, please?

If he emigrates to the U.S. i would welcome him her and volunteer for his campaign to be elected to the U.S. House for my district.

[CaptainQueeg]

06:42 PM on 08/30/2009

I noticed the word 'AXIS 'up above, which reminds me of what a Republican from Oklahoma asked me a question, he said " If we keep on takin that thar Oil out of the groun how is the Earth going to rotate on it's Axis?"

[ignorethewackos]

06:17 PM on 08/30/2009

I wonder if there will be a fund set up for him. I'd send him a contributi­on

[NoMercy]

05:57 PM on 08/30/2009

Will a teabagger be put in jail for throwing a shoe at khaddafi?

[sense11]

05:48 PM on 08/30/2009

This guy is my hero, i just wish he had better aim.

[rini]

07:13 PM on 08/30/2009

He had good aim. it's just that he was trying to hit a vestigial body part, W's head.

[goodog]

05:17 PM on 08/30/2009

Bush had people thrown out of so-called town halls just for wearing the wrong t-shirt, while Obama allows the goose-boot­ing pantaloon goons who oppose him to mill about with AKs and ARs.

[NoMercy]

05:54 PM on 08/30/2009

I'm afraid that's your responsibi­lity. Let your voice be heard, or be the "silent majority" that just lets things happen.

[blindlemon]

05:04 PM on 08/30/2009

He should receive the "Golden Shoe" award.
A man with a conscience­, something foreign to Bush & Cheney.

[KCFreedom]

04:44 PM on 08/30/2009

Lettuce all throw our shoes in his honor.

What a folk hero. He got to do what 99% of the world's population wishes they could have done.

Too bad the shoe didn't hit.

[goodog]

05:19 PM on 08/30/2009

If only George didn't alrady have his own shoe in his mouth.

[VotingPresent]

04:39 PM on 08/30/2009

He would have been the perfect Kennedy pallbearer­.